Pro Football Rumors
DECEMBER 2: Jones issued a clarification on Tuesday, telling 105.3 The Fan that he offered Parsons to the Jets for Williams and a first-rounder (via Clarence Hill of Jr. of All City DLLS). It was not Parsons and a first for Williams, as many inferred from Jones’ previous comments on the subject.
NOVEMBER 28: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. We had previously heard Cowboys-Jets discussions commenced during the runup to the eventual Parsons swap with the Packers, but the longtime owner has provided a rather notable detail here.
“I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation.
“A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].”
Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a 1, and we didn’t get it done.”
Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5.
If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal.
Though Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass rush win rate.
Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss.
Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they...
